Seinfeld fans
say aloha to show

Some turned bald, others
teased their mops for the local
look-alike contests

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

Hundreds of "Seinfeld" fans sought company to watch the final episode of the sitcom in gatherings that proved a weeknight business boon for several Honolulu restaurants and bars.

Brothers Matt and Andrew Lincoln of Manoa, both bartenders, shaved the tops of their heads to resemble George for the look-alike contest at Ryan's Grill, one of several competitions around town.

Matt won. So did Harvey Racknil as Jerry, Chris Dias as Kramer and Anne-Marie Russo as Elaine.

"I'm not disappointed," said Lisa Kroll, who did a clothes and hair change in the Ryan's restroom for her version of Elaine. "I know I'm too tall, and my hair is too light, but it was a fun thing to do."

She thought the finale was perfect.

"At first I was offended, when they made fun of the fat man . . . after offending Puerto Ricans last week. But they made up for it, like 'we know we're inappropriate and we have to pay.' They were reaping what they sowed, in jail for being such insensitive clods.

"I like the show because they deal with everyday issues, little things that people in real life make a big deal about. And it's not too sappy. They all say what they think," said Kroll, a University of Hawaii graduate student.

"We taped it to watch again," said her companion Eric Grolitzer, a retired Navy man. "We'll probably watch the 10:30 rerun when we get home. It ended leaving it open for more episodes, they're only in jail for a year. I think it ended at a good time, they sort of ran out of ideas."

Mario Chavez predicted that "Seinfeld" "will develop into something like the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show,'" a movie with a cult of fans who repeatedly return and know all the lines.

He said he and his date wanted to watch in a crowd because "it feels good to have something in common. Other people like the same thing."

But after standing for half the two-hour finale, they left, secure in the knowledge that it was being taped at home.

The Ryan's crowd roared in recognition at each returning guest star who showed up to testify against "the New York Four," a device used to relive favorite episodes.

Richelle Yoshioka and friends lined the bench outside the Ward Centre restaurant, resigned to the fact they would not get in to celebrate her birthday last night.

"We're going somewhere else. We figured eating is more important," she said.

Wendy Miyake admitted she was taping the show.

"I'm not a fan, I just want to see history . . . and I want to watch the 'ER' final."

Others in the foursome were Kara Yoshida -- "I'm a fan, I'm going to watch with her" -- and Myra Pacubas -- "I need to watch, I don't want to be out of the loop. My boss is the biggest fan."

Andrew Fauth of Kona also lounged on the railing outside, unable to find the friends he planned to meet in the crush.

"I think it's funny, I just don't watch a whole lot of TV," he said. "I like to read books."

Hostess Cristy Montaine said the crowd gathered before a giant screen was a match for Superbowl Sunday numbers.

"I never get to watch because I'm working. Sometimes I watch the reruns at 10:30."

The crowd voted Dias -- tall with wildly teased taller hair -- number one of the look-alikes. It won him tickets to the David Copperfield show from sponsoring radio station STAR 101.9, which broadcast from the restaurant.

"I've done this for Halloween for the last two years and it was a hit."

Michelle Murray, whose friends gathered more than an hour before it all started, said, "It was a good show. It's not like it ended happy. It's just about real life, about what really happens."